Qui culpae ignoscit uni, suadet pluribus.
(Publilius Syrus, Sententia 535)

The one who excuses one fault ends up encouraging it in many others.

(pron = kwee KOOL-pai ig-NOHS-kit OO-nee SWAH-det PLOO-ree-boos)

Comment: The Roman ethical "system" (for lack of a better term) was
hierarchical. In fact, one might say with some accuracy that everything Roman
was hierarchical. Social, religious, political, and cultural relationships were
all considered in terms of who was superior or inferior to whom. Thus,
Publilius Syrus can offer within that system which expects there to be some
superiors and many inferiors this warning. If a superior goes about excusing
faults in his inferiors, he will only breed more of it among them. The
implication is that it is incumbent on the superior (in fact his duty as a
moral person) not to let his inferiors get by with their faults.

Apply this notion to any of the descendents of Roman culture, and you can see
its application within numerous examples. I see some of those descendents as
including Christianity (particularly Western churches), the University, school
systems in general, and economic systems that emerged from the Feudal system
just to name a few.

If one accepts this view of power and human relationships, then there is little
else to say besides "know who your inferiors are, and do not extend any
leniency towards them when they make mistakes". Also, "know who your superiors
are, and make sure that they never see you make a mistake". (Of course, this
encourages deception in a variety of forms, but Publilius Syrus did not seem to
anticipate that).

This proverb leaves me wondering if there are any relationships that I have in
which I act as either a superior or an inferior, and if so, just how necessary
that really is.